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Vice President Kamala Harris told pro-Palestinian protesters at a rally in Glendale, Arizona, that “now is the time” for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza.
Harris’ words are a stark contrast to those of two days ago, when she told pro-Palestinian protesters at a rally in Detroit – a state with a large Arab-American population – “If you want Donald Trump to win, say so. Otherwise, I’ll do the talking.”
In contrast, at the beginning of her speech at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, she was booed by pro-Palestinian protesters who chanted “Free, free Palestine.” In response, Harris attempted to speak from a political perspective.
“I’ve made it clear: Now is the time to reach a ceasefire and finalize the hostage deal,” she said to applause. “Now is the time. And the president and I are working around the clock every day to finalize that ceasefire and bring the hostages home. I respect your opinion, but we’re here now to talk about this 2024 campaign.”
Harris’ rally was part of her larger tour with her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, whom she selected earlier this week.
At first, rally attendees attempted to drown out protesters, which resulted in people chanting “USA” repeatedly. The Harris team said 15,000 people attended the rally. Walz commented that it was the largest political gathering in the state’s history.
Harris also sought to clarify her immigration policy, which has become one of her weakest political arguments and is used as a target by Republicans. Harris has long said she would support a bipartisan deal to restrict immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border that Trump blocked, but she also unveiled a new plan to make it easier for migrants who have entered the U.S. illegally.
“We know our immigration system is broken, and we know what it takes to fix it: comprehensive reforms,” she said. “That includes strong border security and an earned path to citizenship.”
The crowd was often loud, and the music ranged from Beyoncé, a longtime favorite of Harris’s, to Prince to Charli XCX, who supported Harris when she said, “Kamala Harris is a brat.”
Harris wants to represent Arizona strongly. The Harris campaign team announced that it would ultimately open 18 field offices in Arizona to keep the state, which Joe Biden narrowly won in 2020, in the hands of the Democrats.
As part of that strategy, Republican Mesa Mayor John Giles, co-chair of Republicans for Harris, was also present at the rally. He told his fellow voters in the center that they owe the GOP “nothing.” He also invoked the spirit of Senator John McCain, who both criticized and voted with Trump.
Also at the rally was Rep. Ruben Gallego, whose Senate campaign is well ahead of even Harris’ in his race against former news anchor and voter holdout Kari Lake. The two are running for the Senate seat being vacated by Kyrsten Sinema, the former Democrat turned independent.
Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, who was Harris’s vice presidential candidate, also spoke before Harris, and she thanked him.
A poll by Highground, a public relations agency and one of the leading polling firms, found that Harris has a slight lead over Trump, but it is still within the margin of error.
Harris and Walz will leave for Las Vegas on Saturday.
But it will likely not be the last time Harris faces a challenge from pro-Palestinian protesters. Harris will travel to Chicago for the Democratic National Convention later this month, where a number of unaffiliated delegates are expected to voice their concerns.
